Creates crime of victimization of a senior citizen or a person with a disability.
This New Jersey bill (S 489) creates a new criminal offense called "victimization of a senior citizen or person with a disability" when someone commits certain crimes (like assault or theft) against these individuals. It directly affects seniors (62+ years) and people with medically determined disabilities that substantially limit their ability to resist. The key mechanism requires that this new offense be charged separately from the underlying crime, with sentencing one degree higher (e.g., a third-degree crime becomes a second-degree crime for the victimization charge), and mandates separate sentences for both offenses. The bill defines "senior citizen" as 62+ and "person with a disability" as someone with a pre-existing impairment making them substantially unable to resist.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026
Last action Jan 13, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Owen Henry
RRepublican
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about S 489
Scope: NJ
Hi! I can help you understand S 489. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline